Biscay - The hinterland of Biscay

If Biscay is a modern, even avant-garde, populated territory near the coast, it remains no less fascinating inside. The industrial heritage left by the mines, the medieval villages flanked by lush mountains and the parks with preserved nature, will make you appreciate it as much as its beaches!

Markina-Xemein and Ziortza-Bolibar

We start in the east of Biscay, with Markina-Xemein in the Lea-Artibai basin. A recent municipality resulting from the merger of 2 localities. It borders Gipuzkoa. Visit the old medieval town which has a rich civil and religious heritage. Do not miss the church of Santa María de la Asunción de Xemein which is a national monument classified in Renaissance style and the chapel of Saint Michael of Arretxinaga with its 3 megaliths that protect the altar. The town has a good number of palaces in Gothic or Baroque style, 3 towers and rural architecture worthy of interest.

The town of Markina-Xemein and the Church of Santa María de la Asunción de Xemein

The Chapel of Saint Michael of Arretxinaga with its 3 megaliths

To the southwest, the village of Ziortza-Bolibar is located in the same basin, it is a very old medieval village. There is the only collegiate church in Biscay, which is also on a Jacquaire route: the Collegiate Church of Cenarruza. This is the city where the ancestors of Simón Bolívar came from, and there is also a museum in honor of the Venezuelan " Libertador " who emancipated the Spanish colonies in South America.

Simon Bolivar Museum

Durango, Atxondo

Much further south, Durango is an ideal holiday destination if you love nature and history. It is at the crossroads of 3 natural parks (Urdaibai, Urkiola and Gorbea) and crossed by the Ibaizabal River. Like many municipalities in the region, it is the secondary sector with its forges and the transformation of iron that gave it its economic boom. The old quarter of Durango is developed around the beautiful basilica of Santa María de Uribarri and its large wooden portal. The cross of Kurutziaga dates from the 15th century, it is more than 4 m high and represents a heretical part of the history of the city. Several palaces and beautiful houses make up the civil heritage of the city. Durango is a place suitable for excursions to the 4 corners of Biscay, for hiking, climbing, enjoying the invigorating mountain air.

Ibaizabal River

The Basilica of Santa María de Uribarri

Atxondo just below, is an interesting village to see on the road to Elorrio. It is like nestled in the mountains, in the middle of peaks exceeding 1000 m in altitude. Walk around to appreciate the landscape and do not hesitate to take a lunch break there, you can eat good local gastronomy.

The gastronomy of the Spanish Basque Country

Elorrio, the Urkiola Natural Park

9 km south of Durango, Elorrio (which is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Biscay) awaits you for a visit to its old quarter, a monumental complex classified as a cultural asset and dotted with houses and beautiful palaces. The Town Hall will suggest a walking route so you don't miss anything! Have fun looking for the 69 stone coats of arms , carved into this complex and the 9 scattered calvaries. Go see the town hall and the Basilica of the Purísima Concepción. A wall surrounded the city, of which only one vestige remains: the Don Tello gate. The Necrópolis Argiñeta will attract your attention with its steles and sarcophagi from the 12th century.

Urkiola Natural Park © AdobeStock_Iskander-Gutierrez

You are at the foot of the Urkiola Natural Park, which is made up of steep and limestone mountains, a true paradise for climbers and mountaineers. In Dima, people who do climbing or caving will be delighted to go to the Baltzola caves. All around, hiking, magnificent circuits to discover for sports enthusiasts. The park extends to the south of Biscay in Otxandio. Nearby, in the Arratia Valley, Areatza is a medieval town, which also has a listed monumental complex. Stroll through its steep cobbled streets, discover the sumptuous palaces, the town hall. You are a stone's throw from the Gorbeia Natural Park and you can get information at the interpretation center located in Areatza. To learn more about Basque traditions and life in Biscay through the centuries, head to the village of Artea, home to the Ecomuseo del Caserío Vasco (Ecomuseum of the Basque House), and there is also the Museum of the Historical Archive of Nationalism.

Otxandio and the Gorbeia Natural Park

Otxandio is a charming town to the south, on the border with Alava. It is in the heart of the natural parks and this scenic beauty is matched only by the lively architectural interest of its old center. Founded in the 13th century, Otxandio can be visited starting from the Plaza Mayor. We walk to see the Town Hall and its sandstone façade, the arcades and large balconies, the coats of arms and the sundial. Right next door, the pediment for playing Basque pelota, a beautiful fountain and the church of Santa Mariñe and the Bolaleku, a place intended for the practice of the old bowling game bolatoki, transformed into an exhibition space.

Gorbeia Park © AdobeStock-Gonzalo-vidaña-Gorbeia

The Gorbeia Natural Park occupies the entire southern part of the tip of Biscay. Its highest peak is at 1482 m, it is a popular place for mountaineers and this mountain range borders Alava. Speleologists also appreciate this park which has more than 500 cavities. You can see wild animals, ageless trees and high karst formations. It is a diverse landscape and sometimes as if taken from a film, with the warm colors of autumn or the mildness of spring. Explore the Itxina massif , a reserved and protected place, which can be labyrinthine and will require the help of a guide or a very good study of the topographic map before a hike. Waterfall lovers will enjoy going to the very accessible viewpoint of the Gujuli waterfall, to contemplate the 100 m of the waterfall. In Orozko to the west, the old town has some beautiful buildings and in the Casa Palacio you will visit a 3-storey ethnographic museum that will tell you about life in the lands of Gorbeia. Take the opportunity to look at the Aranguren tower and the 18th century bridge that crosses the Altube River. Take walks in the surrounding area, to see menhirs, the ruins of a feudal castle and a pretty photogenic dam.

Karst Mountains

Arrigorriaga, Gordexola

Going back up towards the Ria de Bilbao, Arrigorriaga, a town with red stone buildings that contain several legends, including that of the Battle of Padura which was so bloody that the Nervion River was tinged red and impregnated the stones of the town. It is during an educational walk with educational panels that you will learn more... Note that Arrigorriaga is not far from Bilbao, travelers who want to save money can decide to stay there and then make daily excursions to the natural parks on one side and Bilbao and the beaches on the other. The same goes for Galdakao where the Ibaizabal River flows which joins the Nervion to form the Bilbao estuary. Visit this town to see its hermitage, its 3 pretty rural bridges and El Gallo, a monument that is at the crossroads of several roads, including the one to San Sebastian.

20 km southwest of Bilbao, towards Alava, there is Gordexola, a very green and even lush valley that receives a lot of rainfall. This is why the region is dotted with small streams, rivers and watering holes that were long used for the iron industry, through mills, dams and canals. There are several good reasons to come here, the first is the architecture. There are sumptuous and rich palaces, bourgeois houses and gardens teeming with plants. Another good reason is motor sports. In the mountains there is a motorcycle enduro race, the Gordexola Xtreme, reputed to be very difficult (and we understand why, given the differences in altitude!)

Balmaseda, Artzentales, Karrantza, mining regions

Head north to Balmaseda in the Las Encartaciones region. It is said to be the first village in Biscay to have been founded in 1199. It was a fortified town well located at the crossroads of several roads, it then benefited from the development of communication routes for its demographic and economic growth. Today, in addition to its know-how around metal, Balmaseda is known for its furniture industry. For tourists, it is an interesting starting point to touch on rural Biscayan culture. Stroll through its historic center passing by the charming Puente Viejo de La Muza bridge and its tower (formerly a toll booth!), towards the San Severino church. About twenty minutes away, note that the Boinas La Encartada museum is interesting for those who want to know more about the textile industry.

The streets of Balmaseda

The Church of San Severino

Artzentales further northeast, is a place to go to find peace and quiet. It seems that the locals say that there are more cows than inhabitants... Surrounded by mountains, you will go hiking in the Alen mountains, come across an old small mining village, because the region was known for the wealth of copper and iron in its subsoil. To relax, you will enjoy simple but pleasant leisure areas in the surrounding area.

Pastures

Karrantza is in the far west of Biscay, it is a quiet and rural town, where it is good to walk and appreciate the beauty of the landscape. The region is not yet very developed in tourism, this is the opportunity to take advantage of it. Lovers of caves with concretions will be happy to visit the magnificent Pozalagua cave which houses one of the most beautiful and largest concentrations of stalactites and stalagmites in the world! A breathtaking and anarchic spectacle where the eccentrics , these mischievous concentrations that grow in all directions, are spectacular. Still in nature, is the megalithic route of Haizko, for lovers of menhirs and Neolithic remains. With (or without!) the children, visit the Karpin Abentur theme park which houses an impressive collection of wild animals (real, living ones), but also reproductions of dinosaurs (fake ones!). You will then appreciate the richness of nature while crossing the eras of the History of the earth. In the city is the old church of Biañez which is today a museum and some beautiful houses.

Pozalagua Cave

The Urduña-Orduña enclave

Urduña-Orduña is an enclave of Biscay located in Alava about forty kilometers south of Bilbao. It is a place rich in history, classified as a historical monument since 1997. In the Middle Ages, its geographical location made it an important commercial crossroads and a customs stop. The customs house, which is on the large Plaza de los Fueros, has also been converted into a spa. Take a walk around the city, ask the Tourist Office to show you the heritage routes. Urduña-Orduña is located in an attractive area, not far away you can enjoy sports in the Sierra Salvada. A very beautiful waterfall is located near the source of the Nervion: the Saut de Nervion which is 270 meters high and is quite simply one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe ! Whether water is present or not, we recommend taking this short 2km walk to reach the lookout point where the view is breathtaking.

Nervion jump, view from above